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Over 11% of ride share driver applicants rejected in new background checks

More than 300 applicants had felony convictions

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Updated: 11:48 PM EDT Apr 5, 2017

Over 11% of ride share driver applicants rejected in new background checks

More than 300 applicants had felony convictions

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Updated: 11:48 PM EDT Apr 5, 2017

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WEBVTT SAFE AND TAP THAT APP TO REQUESTA RIDE.>> SAFETY TO OUR RESIDENCE ISNUMBER ONE.EVERETT'S MAYOR PRAISING THESTATE'S STRICT BACKGROUND CHECKSFOR UBER AND LYFT DRIVERS.LAST YEAR, EVERETT SAW TWODISTURBING CASES.AN UBER DRIVER ADMITTING HEEXPOSED HIMSELF TO A TEENAGEGIRL; ANOTHER DRIVER STANDSACCUSED OF RAPING A TEEN.>> YOU'RE IN A BIZ WHERE YOU'REWORKING WITH PEOPLE IN VERYTIGHT QUARTERS, A VERY INTIMATERELATIONSHIP, I THINK YOUSHOULD BE OF THE HIGHEST ANDBEST QUALITY OF CHARACTER APERSON.>> ACCORDING TO THE STATE, MORETHAN 8,000 PEOPLE WHOAPPLIED TO DRIVE FOR RIDEHAILING COMPANIES FAILED AREQUIRED BACKGROUND CHECK300 OF THE APPLICANTS HAD FELONYCONVICTIONS.51 ARE REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS.>> WE DEVELOPED A SET OFCRITERIA WITH THE TRANSPORTATIONNETWORKING COMPANIES WHO DEFINEDWHO COULD AND WHO COULDN'TDRIVE.>> BUT UBER AND LYFT SAY THEBACKGROUND CHECKS ARE UNFAIRBECAUSE THEY'RE TOO EXTENSIVEOVERCOMING PAST MISTAKES. MOSTOF THE DRIVERS DENIED HADSUSPENDED LICENSES OR MULTIPLEDRIVING OFFENSES.>> THE CITY OF BOSTON REQUIRESCAB DRIVERS TO GET FUN GERPRINTS.THE MAYOR NOW CONVINCED UBER ANDLYFT DRIVERS SHOULD FACE THESAME SCRUTINY.>> BUT CLEARLY, SOMETHING LIKETHIS LOOKS LIKE POTENTIALLYFINGERPRINTS WILL BE NEEDED.NOW THE GIVE GOVERNOR POINTEDOUT THERE IS APPEALS PROCESS FORTHE DRIVERS WHOS ARE DENIED.SOME DRIVERS HAVE TAKEN

Over 11% of ride share driver applicants rejected in new background checks

More than 300 applicants had felony convictions

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Updated: 11:48 PM EDT Apr 5, 2017

BOSTON —

State officials say more than 8,000 people who applied to drive for ride-hailing companies, like Uber and Lyft, in Massachusetts have failed a required background check.

More than 62,000 drivers were approved, including some who applied to drive for multiple companies.

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The background checks were required under a 2016 state law that officials have called the most stringent in the country. They were required for both new drivers and the many thousands who were already currently driving for ride share companies.

Of the 8,206 applicants who were denied, the figures released Wednesday show the largest number were turned away because their license had been suspended, they had been licensed to drive for less than three years, or they had multiple serious driving offenses.

WCVB has requested additional data from the state to detail the number of rejected drivers who were already working for ride share companies.

More than 300 applicants had felony convictions on their record and 51 were registered sex offenders.

Uber officials criticized the screening process as "unfair and unjust" to drivers.

"Lyft's background checks are fully compliant with Massachusetts law, and we maintain a collaborative working relationship with DPU and the Baker Administration. However, under Massachusetts law, Lyft's commercial background check provider, like all consumer reporting agencies, is legally prevented from looking back further than seven years into driver applicants' histories," Lyft said in a written statement. "The state does not face the same limitation, which likely explains why a small percentage of our drivers failed the state's background check while passing ours."